Page 5 of Tempting the Highland Devil
They exchanged heated looks, and a flicker of emotion crossed his face before he asked. “What if ye choose someone ye like?”
She let out a humorless laugh at his suggestion and tossed her head back a bit. “Would ye marry someone who fought to win yer hand? A stranger that ye dinnae ken, simply because someone asked ye to do so?”
When he did not answer, she continued, “If it was someone I liked, then me braither might as well have me marry ye!” He paled once the words were out of her mouth. Yvaine instantly wished she could take them back. “What I mean is …Me braither wants me to wed someone of his choosin’ and...I like ye as a friend…” she stammered as she tried explaining her words to him.
“I dinnae mean that I like ye…or that I want to marry ye…I was merely sayin’…What I was tryin’ to say is that…”
“I willnae marry anyone ever,” he announced darkly as she babbled away, and the heat of his words cut short anything else she was going to say to him.
Yvaine’s head spun, and a hard whip knocked her stomach hard, so she felt pain there. “What do ye mean?”
“I never want to marry anyone or have bairns,” he told her calmly like the impact of his words meant nothing. For reasons she couldn’t understand, the revelation pinched at her insides and filled her with the sinking feel of disappointment.
“Oh,” she gasped. “I dinnae ken that.”
Arran nodded. “It is nay somethin’ I discuss with anyone.”
He combed his fingers through his hair, and she caught a glimpse of the bob in his throat when he swallowed hard. “But there might be a way for me to help ye.”
Yvaine frowned now, but he kept on talking before she could process most of his words.
“I can help ye if ye first agree to do me a favor to. Whatever I ask and whenever I ask.” He stepped closer to her again, and Yvaine felt the familiar flutter rise to the surface inside her.
She licked her lips nervously and stilled her breath to hide her anxiety.
What could Arran possibly want from me?
Arran’s height towered over hers, and his eyes bore into the depths of her hazel ones. She felt tingles reach the back of her neck, and heat gradually spread through all of her.
Every heightened sensation rushing through her because of his nearness vanished once he spoke again. “I can enter the competition to win yer hand in marriage.”
Yvaine’s eyes grew wider, and she blinked from the shock of his words. “What in the heaven’s name are ye talkin’ about?”
3
All Arran knew was that he could not let her run. He did not give his offer much thought. The words were out of his mouth before he fully considered that he was offering to ruin the competition.
“Arran, what do ye mean when ye say ye will join the competition?” Yvaine blinked with innocence as she asked the question.
His mind raced as he tried coming up with the right answer for her, but all he could think of was the innocence in her eyes and how his blood roared so loud, he feared she heard its rush.
“I will enter the competition for yer hand in marriage,” he repeated then pretended to cough to clear his throat.
Yvaine blinked, and her expression slackened a bit before she burst into a wild laugh. The riotous sound filled his ears and made him tremble inside.Does she find me amusing?
“What does that even mean?” she asked as she quaked with a light chuckle. “If ye want to marry me, then all ye need to do is ask, Arran. There will be nay need for lyin’ or pretendin’ to…”
“This is nay a game,” he snapped, not understanding why he suddenly felt a rush of energy surge through him.I need to get away from her…put some distance between us.
Countless times over the years, he told himself he could not allow himself think of wanting Yvaine or even consider touching her. But in that moment, Arran could only think of her lips and how beautiful she looked as her brown hair glistened in the sun.
“I meant what I said earlier. I willnae ever get married to anyone.”
Yvaine pressed her lips together. “Then why compete for me hand? How does that help me situation?”
Thankfully, she drew away from him before he lost his mind and circled his arms around her waist to pull her against his body. Arran felt the heated building of his hunger. His entire body hardened, and his nerves stirred alive.
“I will join the competition and make every other suitor seem unworthy of yer hand. Yer braither willnae let ye marry a man who is less worthy, and if ye indeed meet someone that ye like, then all ye need to do is tell me. I will let him win the final game.”
